The regional centennial celebration in the Visayas is fittingly taking place from November 20, 2011 to January 4, 2012 at Banawa Hills, Cebu City. Notably, this location is the first foundation in the southward movement of the Good Shepherd mission from Manila on July 15, 1951.
November 20, 2011
The Euphrasian Community arrived at the entrance arch shortly before noon of November 20 bearing the parts of the centennial symbol, the shepherd’s staff. Close by, in readiness to assemble these parts, were the residents of Maria Droste Training Center. The formal handover to the Banawa Contemplative and Apostolic Communities was to be done under the arch at two o’clock in the afternoon.
Right on the dot, Sr. Bernadette de Guzman began the ritual of handing over the shepherd’s staff to Sr. Luzminda Obnimaga whose privilege it was to carry our centennial symbol in procession uphill to the chapel. Following her were the Sisters and lay mission partners, then the groups dancing the Sinulog, traditionally done before the Sto. Niño -- the girl and boy altar servers, then the tiny day care children trying their best to do the Sinulog, and our hillside neighbors. A 10-member drum and bugle ensemble provided the rhythmic invitation to the dance until all arrived at the base of the high stairway to the chapel.
The ritual continued inside the chapel with the laying of stones beneath the staff at its attractive place in the sanctuary. Then followed the historicizing through a power point presentation showing highlights of past events and personalities unfamiliar to the contemporary viewers.
With the singing of the Centennial Song, the ritual inside the chapel was concluded. But the final ritual was conducted outside by way of the heavy merienda that both children and adults enjoyed under the trees.
November 21, 2011
The Thanksgiving Mass for our centennial anniversary scheduled at three o’clock in the afternoon of the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Renewal of our Vows happened to coincide with the prominent Feast of Our Lady of Rule in Lapulapu City. For this reason, the latter had first claim to the presence of Archbishop Jose S. Palma. Providence would have us invite a long-time friend of the Banawa Community, Bishop John F. Du, Bishop of Dumaguete, to preside over our Centennial Eucharist. Among the clergy concelebrants were Bishop Julito B. Cortes, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, Frs. Patricio Ornopia, Benjamin Trazo, Eduardo Villaluna, Ceff Eleccion, Rafael Catane, SHF, Jose Pareja, SVD, Jesús Rodriguez, CSJ, Marlon Nacua, SchP, Francis Mosende, SchP and Rev. Francis Sarita, the deacon who proclaimed the Gospel. That afternoon the Word of God was proclaimed and the Eucharist celebrated on the new lectern and the new altar offered by friends for the occasion.
The liturgy was intentionally designed to be simple and solemn. The proper was in English and the common in Visayan. All hymns were in Visayan, with the sole exception of Sandaang Taong Paglalakbay. The bit of centennial history presented at the Introduction was picked up by Bishop Du. His homily was a touching personal testimony to the charism of the Good Shepherd which he traced in his own life as a young priest who regularly came up for the daily Mass of the Sisters and into the later years until he was appointed bishop on November 21, 1997. Other than the primary symbols of bread and wine, no other gifts were expected to be offered, but after these were taken up to the altar some young people from the side chapel shyly came up to lay their small gifts at the base. After the Sisters from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao renewed their vows, they sang St. Mary Euphrasia’s Pangandoy which is Visayan for Mithiin.
The 21st being a work day, a good many of our invitees could not make it to the Mass but sent their greetings and gifts as did our alumnae from abroad. As a culmination of the afternoon, following Sr. Milagros Santos’ resounding and clear message of thanks, everyone was invited to a packed merienda cena at the many places of distribution. The glorious afternoon weather made it easy for everyone to calmly find a spot among the 1,000 seats clustered for easy conversation all over the grounds under the trees, and in the social hall and tents in case of rain. Every seat that afternoon was for someone special. The leftover packs went the way of the first leftover baskets of loaves and fish, we guess. They were thankfully carried home by the poor for the poor.
Two things may perhaps sum up the memories brought home by those who celebrated with us that afternoon -- the experience of a Thanksgiving Eucharist kept simple and solemn even for a hundred years and, for a hundred years, the joy of seeing the poor well looked after.
-Sr. M. Fe Mendoza RGS
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INTRODUCTION Maayong hapon kanatong tanan! Daghan kaayong salamat sa inyong pag-abot! Ania uban kanato, nga maoy mangulo sa kasaulugan sa Santos nga Eukaristiya, si Bishop John Du, Obispo sa Dumaguete. Ania usab miuban gayud kanato ang atong Obispo diri sa Sugbo, si Bishop Lito Cortes ug ang atong mga higalang pari ug diakono. Nagkatapok ta karon dinhi tungod sa usa ka hitabo didto sa pantalan sa Manila niadtong Oktubre 4, 1912. Nanaog sa barko ang unang duha ka Good Shepherd Sisters nga gipadala sa Pilipinas sa among Mother General didto sa Fransya. Naluya tingali to sila kay ang barko gikan pa man sa Rangoon, Burma nga gitawag na karon og Yangon, Myanmar ug sila naglutaw-lutaw sulod sa 20 ka adlaw. Ang pag-abot nila tubag sa hangyo sa Obispo sa Lipa, si Bishop Joseph Petrelli. Sulod sa miaging hapit usa ka gatos ka tuig, namunga na og daghan ang misyon sa Good Shepherd Sisters. Sa kadaghan sa klase sa among mga pagpangalagad sa nagkalainlaing mga suok sa nasud, usa lamang ang katuyuan niini: NGA UNTA MAPADAYAG ANG KALUMO SA KASINGKASING SA GINOO, ANG MAAYONG MAGBALANTAY, NGADTO SA IYANG PINAGGANG KATAWHAN. Kini nga katuyuan ang nagdala sa duha usab ka Good Shepherd Sisters dinhi sa Sugbu niadtong Julyo 15, 1951. Dili to sila sama ka luya adtong mga madre nga unang miabot sa Pilipinas, kay duha ra man ka gabii ug usa ka adlaw silang naglutaw-lutaw sa barko gikan sa Manila. Pagtubag kadtong ilang pag-anhi sa hangyo ni Archbishop Julio R. Rosales, Arzobispo sa Sugbu. Saysinta na ka tuig ang milabay ug kita nga nia dinhi karon, matag usa kanato may kasinatian sa kalumo sa kasingkasing sa Ginoo nga iyang gipaagi sa mga Good Shepherd Sisters. Ang atong mapasalamaton nga mga kasingkasing ihalad nato karon niining atong Misa Pasalamat. Sr. Fe Mendoza November 21, 2011 |
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A WORD OF THANKS How do we give thanks for the hundred years since 1912 that the Good Shepherd Sisters have lived and died in Good Shepherd mission in the Philippines? Because this is a regional celebration, perhaps we can begin by giving thanks for the sixty of those hundred years that Good Shepherd Sisters have lived and died in the Visayas, specifically in Cebu and Negros. Yes, last July 15, 2011 we had a soft thanksgiving for the sixty-year anniversary of the Good Shepherd mission in Cebu City. We have every reason to give thanks, first of all, because ever since God sent us to be shepherds on this mission, God has never stopped being himself our Shepherd. Who are you who have been our companions in mission and of whom we say with St. Paul, “ I thank my God each time I think of you; and when I pray for you I pray with joy.”? You are our benefactors of time, talent and treasure: those of you who are here now, those who are not physically able to come, and those who have already passed on to their eternal reward. You are our families, relatives and friends, our lay mission partners who believe in the mission of the Good Shepherd and who have accompanied us all the way. You are our Church leaders, priests and religious sisters and brothers. We thank you for your friendship and companionship, your spiritual and moral support in season and out of season. You are the girls and women, the children and families who passed through our places of mission, our different centers, our residences and St. Ursula School while it was still here. Our foundress, St. Mary Euphrasia, always reminds us that we owe our vocation to you. May Jesus, our Good Shepherd, be with us always. Sr. M. Milagros Santos November 21, 2011 |